Vandalia receives MIRMA funding

Jeff Arp, of MIRMA, was at the City of Vandalia Board of Alderman meeting on Thursday, October 10 to present some risk management awards to Mayor Ramon Barnes.

The City of Vandalia received funding for police cruiser equipment after a special check presentation was made during the monthly Board of Aldermen meeting held on Thursday, October 9 inside the Lange Building.
Jeff Arp, of the Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (MIRMA). was on hand to present some Risk Management Awards to Mayor Ramon Barnes.
Arp presented a certificate representing the funding of $948.39 for the taser with taser cam, $3,375 for the police car dash mounted audio/video camera, and $450 for the emergency light trailer.
The city’s portion, which will be budgeted next year or come from fund balance, should be $632.26 for the taser with taser cam and $1,645 for the police car dash mounted audio/video camera. The light trailer has already been paid for from the electric fund budget, so the $450 will be a reimbursement.
The board’s first order of business was to approve the regular meeting minutes of September 12, along with the Accounts Payable Report for September. Both items were approved.
The next item on the agenda was the rezoning request by Kenneth and Lynda Thurman, owners of Trico Machine and Design. The property in question is located at 613 West Park Street. During the public hearing portion, no one opposed the rezoning issue. Following a recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Committee, the board of alderman approved both the first and second reading of Bill No. 13-1133, an ordinance rezoning property at 613 West Park Street from R-1 to C-1.
A last minute update to the agenda changed the order of motions and added an additional item.
The first motion was to authorize an agreement to lease one acre, more or less, in Industrial Park to Chad Wallace. The acreage is adjacent to property that Wallace currently owns.
Wallace is expanding his business on the north side of the site, but better traffic flow is needed. The property just north, but adjacent to his current site, one acre more or less, would allow for better traffic flow for Wallace’s business expansion.
The oddly shaped property in question is bound by a drainage ditch on the north and west side, thereby decreasing the potential sale of the property to another business.
Basic terms of the lease would be as follows, the lease payments would be $500 per year; the city could cancel the lease upon 180 days written notice; the tenant will pay for all utilities; the tenant will provide insurance; and the tenant will maintain the property in an orderly appearance. The property is also subject to the covenants of the Vandalia Industrial Park.
“This piece of property I am proposing we can sell it to help strengthen an existing business. We can sell it at fair market value, so the folks in the community are not getting shorted. At the same time we are able to help Chad with his business,” said City Administrator Alan Winders.
Should Wallace decide to purchase the acreage, he would be required to give notice of his intent to purchase the property. The price will be determined by an appraisal performed by an appraiser agreed upon by the City. Wallace would pay all costs associated with the property transfer.
The motion for a lease agreement was unanimously approved by the board.
The board discussed a motion for the Vandalia Housing Authority to construct a parking lot that goes a across a right-of-way.
“What my proposal is to you is that we authorize construction of these improvements on the right-of-way, subject to a letter of agreement that the housing authority understands that if we need this for utility, we will remove it, we’ll try to keep it, we’ll bore under it, whatever, but if we damage it or have tear it up to put in a sewer line through there, we’ll put it back in gravel, not concrete,” Winders said.
The motion was approved, and now an agreement will be drawn up by the City Attorney to be signed by both entities.
The city’s semi-annual financial statement for March 1 – August 31, 2013 was prepared by Sharon Myers. The board approved the report and authorized publication as required by law.
In regards to the Laddonia Police contract update, there was little to update. There were no substantive changes being contemplated regarding the contract or service.
The last motion to be considered by the board was three proposed budget reductions. The proposed reductions would change the license office from full-time to part-time, eliminate a position in the Street Department, and eliminate the brush grinding line.
Changing the license office from full-time to part-time will result in a budget reduction of $10,460. The hours of operation would be reduced from 39 to 24 hours per week.
Eliminating the vacant position in the street department would save $28,000. The vacant position has not been filled for a couple of years.
The board addressed each item up for budget cuts individually. Reductions for items one and two were approved unanimously. However, a motion was made to eliminate the brush grinding line but a second was not given. A counter motion was made by Mayor Barnes to have a modified version of the brush grinding item on the agenda next month, and it was approved by all.
Under ordinances on the agenda, two bills were up for review. Bill No. 13-1132, an ordinance repealing and replacing section 525.050 to the city code of the City of Vandalia, adopting regulations for Sidewalks Built on City Right of Way
Bill No. 13-1134 An Ordinance Adding Section 165.280.8 “Court Costs” increasing the municipal court fees pursuant to Missouri Supreme Court operating rule 21 and RSMo. Section 57.955.
The city board of alderman approved both the first and second readings of the Bills.
In the information update portion of the meeting, Street Supervisor Dave Hamby addressed the board regarding the recent chip and seal maintenance and the department’s budget.
“I don’t have dollars and cents numbers, but we come in under budget. We had proposed 66 blocks to be done and we and we managed to do another 25, totaling 91 blocks we have addressed. I think the reason that we came under budget as far as we did, I’m guessing 24,000 under, is because we treated these streets in a more specific area versus treating the entire block,” said Street Supervisor Dave Hamby.
All business was concluded and the meeting was adjourned around 7:30 p.m.